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Is It Time to Scale with a Partner? One Florida Agency Owner's Fast-Track Growth Story

Written by Terry Swift | Jul 23, 2025 2:41:01 PM

From Medical Aspirations to Commercial Insurance Powerhouse

In the heart of Florida, an ambitious agency owner has turned a leap of faith into a thriving commercial insurance business. With roots in construction and a background in health sciences, she entered the insurance world not by plan but by passion and performance. Just three years after launching her independent agency in October 2022, she's grown it from zero to $346,000 in annual revenue, with $30,000 in new monthly revenue consistently added in 2025.

"I started my company after turning down a 3% partnership offer at my old firm. They ended up selling for $91 million, but there’s nothing like owning your own business,” she shared during a recent discovery call with Equity Expansion.

The Agency at a Glance

  • Location: Florida
  • Annual Revenue: $346,000 (2024), on track to exceed $500,000 in 2025
  • Book of Business: ~$3.4M growing to $6–7M in premium
  • Team: 3 full-time staff (including account managers and producers), 1 remote admin (1099)
  • Specialty: Commercial property warehouses, industrial, LROs, contractors, and hotels

Growing Fast but at What Cost?

This agency isn’t just growing; it’s accelerating. But as any owner knows, rapid growth comes with trade-offs.

She started alone, wearing every hat sale, service, admin, hiring, payroll, technology. Now with a small but mighty team and plans to expand by two more hires, the pressure to scale efficiently is real.

"I read a book called Buy Back Your Time. That helped me realize I needed to stop doing everything myself. Now I have people handling admin and back-end tasks, so I can focus on growth."

Still, systems like AMS software, carrier reconciliations, and recruiting seasoned talent remain time-consuming and capital-intensive.

Why She Took the Call with Equity Expansion

Despite the upward momentum, the agency owner acknowledged a universal truth: "I don't want to be an employee of my own company forever."

She’s not looking to exit tomorrow but she is thinking ahead. She’s built something with long-term value, and she’s aware of the growing role private equity plays in the insurance industry.

She turned to Equity Expansion to explore:

  • Long-term strategic support
  • Operational relief
  • Equity opportunities she narrowly missed out on before
How Equity Expansion Can Help

Equity Expansion offers a partnership model grounded in three pillars:

1. Operational Support

"What’s bottlenecking your agency right now?" That’s one of the first questions Equity Expansion asks.

Their back-office support includes:

  • Carrier reconciliation & commission payouts
  • Licensing & compliance across 50 states
  • Payroll, HR, IT, accounting
  • Software upgrades & tech troubleshooting
  • Cross-sell strategy and service optimization

For agency owners like this one focused on production and leadership this means shedding time-draining tasks without sacrificing growth.

2. Financial Structuring & Equity Rollover

In a sample financial package:

  • 80% upfront cash for the value of what’s been built
  • 20% equity rollover into the new entity
  • Additional earnouts tied to revenue growth (e.g., 10% YOY)

As explained in the call: "Equity appreciates far faster than agencies grow organically. That’s where real wealth is created."

This agency owner missed out on $2.7 million when she walked away from 3% equity in her former firm. With Equity Expansion, she can participate more fully rolling over 20% of value into equity with 3–5x growth potential every cycle.

3. Culture Fit First

Money matters. But so does who you're partnered with.

"If you don’t want to pick up the phone when your partner calls, none of the financials matter," said Equity Expansion. Their process emphasizes alignment in:

  • Leadership philosophy
  • Morals and values
  • Operational transparency
  • Long-term vision

What’s Next for This Agency?

The agency owner left the conversation with clarity not pressure. She’ll revisit the idea of partnership in Q4 or 2026, continuing to build value in the meantime.

Still, she knows a partnership window doesn’t last forever. As private equity reshapes the landscape, the chance to roll equity and scale with a strong partner might not be available indefinitely.

"We’re growing at a very rapid speed. I love what I do, but eventually, I want to work on my business, not just in it."

Thinking About Your Next Move?

Whether you’re scaling fast like this Florida agency owner or simply looking for a smoother path forward,

Equity Expansion can help you:

  • Unlock capital without selling out completely
  • Offload operations and refocus on growth
  • Preserve your team and brand
  • Participate in long-term equity appreciation

Schedule a confidential consultation and explore whether the time is right to scale with a trusted partner.